Morten Halle (born 7 October 1957) is a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone), composer and music arranger. He was born in Oslo, and he is known from the city's jazz scene and from a series recordings.
Halle participated in various small bands at the Oslo Jazz scene in the late 1970s, when he studied music at the University of Oslo 1981-86, he was with the band Cutting Edge, and from 1987 in a quartet with John Eberson (guitar), Bjørn Kjellemyr (bass), and Finn Sletten/Pål Thowsen (drums). He has also played with the big band Oslo 13, with Knut Værnes Band, Jon Balke, Søyr, Chipahua and Geir Holmsen Band. He has been in the lineups of Jazzpunkensemblet, Desafinado, Horns for Hire with Torbjørn Sunde and Jens Petter Antonsen, Jon Balke's Magnetic North Orchestra, Geir Lysne Listening Ensemble, Søyr and Metropolitan (band). He has also appeared on releases by Helge Iberg (1997), Jan Magne Førde (1998), Jan Eggum (1999), Marianne Antonsen (2000) og Jørun Bøgeberg (2006).
Halle has written music for film, theater and ballet, as well as commissioned work only short stay Dølajazz Festival 1992, and composed music to the lysics of Jesper Halle, performed by Jonas Fjeld and Sidsel Endresen (1988). He is a prominent figure in modern Norwegian jazz. His album releases include Alle tre (1995, compilation album Cutting Edge), 2 (1991) and The Eagle' (1995), with Halle/Eberson Quartett.
Lately he leads his own trio with Anders Jormin and Svante Henryson, and the Morten Halle Qvartet with Edvard Askeland, Torstein Lofthus and André Peterson/Vigleik Storaas.
Halle is a partner in the label "Curling Legs" (1992–), is attached as associate professor at Norges Musikkhøgskole in Oslo, and former Chairman of TONO.
With Cutting Edge
Cutting Edge (Odin Records, 1982)
Our Man In Paradise (Odin Records, 1984)
Duesenberg (Curling Legs, 1986)
Alle tre (Curling Legs, 1995), compilation
Wirh Halle/Eberson Quartet
Blow! (Odin Records, 1989)
2 (Curling Legs, 1992)
The Eagle (Curling Legs, 1995)
With Anders Jormin and Svante Henryson
Ten Easy Pieces (Curling Legs, 2005)
With "Halles komet"
Halles komet (Curling Legs, 2007)
With Marit Mathiesen
Med parfyme (1981)
Gale hjerte (1984)
With Sverre Kjelsberg
Sverre (1982)
With Ketil Stokkan
Ekte mannfolk (1985)
Romeo (1986)
With Øystein Sunde
Overbuljongpakkemesterassistent/Kaptein Snutebil (1986)
Kjekt å ha (1989)
Øystein Sundes 40 beste (1990)
Du må'kke komme her og komme her (1994)
Sundes verden – 52 av de aller beste (2006)
With Oslo 13 (Jon Balke)
Nonsentration (1992)
Oslo 13 Live (1993)
Live In the North (2001)
With Ole Edvard Antonsen
Tour De Force (1992)
Read My Lips (1997)
With Jon Balke and Magnetic North Orchestra
Further (1994)
Solarized (1999)
Kyanos (2002)
With Jan Eggum
Deilig (1999)
Ekte Eggum (2001)
30/30 (2005)
With others
Larsen (1982), with Kjell Larsen
Ung Pike Forsvunnet (1982), with Ung Pike Forsvunnet
The Soul Survivors (1984), with Chipahua
You and I/It's a Game (1984), with Ruth
En herre med bart (1985), with Eldar Vågan
To feite striper Brylkrem (1987), with The Teddybears
Etterlatte sanger (1988), with Jonas Fjeld
Fisking i Valdres (1988), with Viggo Sandvik
Kvinner & Kanari (1989), with André Danielsen
Wake Me When the Moon Comes Up (1989), with Duck Spin
Tempo (1989), with Vazelina Bilopphøggers
Last Train Home (1990), with Reidar Larsen
Tatt av vinden (1990), with Bjørn Eidsvåg
December (1990), with Dag Kolsrud
Images of Light (1990), with Erik Wøllo
Tamme erter og villbringebær (1990), with Maj Britt Andersen
Ta meg til havet (1992), with Hanne Krogh
Autumn 92 (1992), with Petter Samuelsen
Roneo (1993), with Knut Værnes Band
Shaken - Not Stirred (1993), with Palisander Kvartetten
Med lyset på (1994), with Norsk Utflukt
Du følger vinden (1994), with Diamond Simone
Song om ei segn (1994), with LoMsk
Bussene lengter hjem (1994), with Søyr
Deceivers & Believers (1994), with Tim Scott McConnell
Rippel Rappel (1994), with Maj Britt Andersen
Exile (1994), with Sidsel Endresen
The Water Is Wide (1994), with Eriksen
Nightsong (1995), with Sidsel Endresen and Bugge Wesseltoft
Har du lyttet til elvene om natta? (1995), with Sinikka Langeland
Tverr Geitt tolker Geirr Tveitt live (1995), with Tverr Geitt
Voices (1996), with Kvitretten
Life Is Good (1996), with Steinar Albrigtsen
Thirteen Rounds (1997), with Jon Ebersons Jazzpunkensemble
Never Ending "West Side" Story (1997), with Helge Iberg
Med kjøtt og kjærlighet (1997), with Eidbjørg Raknes
16 utvalgte sanger (1997), with Arne Aano
Noahs draum (1998), with Kjell Habbestad
Salmist (1998), with Per Søetorp
Rotor (1998), with Jon Balke/Cikada Strykekvartett
Imagic (1998), with Niels Præstholm
Domen (1998), with Jan Magne Førde
Meridians (1998), with Torbjørn Sunde
Flua på veggen (1998), with Vamp
Metropolitan (1999), with Metropolitan
Solarized (1999), with Jon Balke
Soulful Christmas Songs (2000), with Marianne Antonsen
The 00 Quartet (2001), with The 00 Quartet
Sirkus Mikkelikski (2001), with Alf Prøysen
Alene hjemme (2001), with Søyr
Indigo (2001), with New Jordal Swingers
Aurora Borealis - Northern Lights (2002), with Geir Lysne
Belfast Cowboy (2002), with New Jordal Swingers
Kelner! (2002), with Odd Børretzen/Lars Martin Myhre
Songs After You (2003), with Runar Andersen/Janne Kjellsen
A Night in Cassis (2004), with Knut Værnes and Vertavokvartetten
Silver (2004), with Solveig Slettahjell and Slow Motion Quintet
Go Get Some (2004), with Tys Tys
Tida som går (2004), with Norsk Utflukt
Love Is Blind (2004), with Metropolitan
Pixiedust (2005), with Solveig Slettahjell and Slow Motion Orchestra
Boahjenásti - The North Star (2006), with Geir Lysne Listening Ensemble
Basstard (2006), with Jørun Bøgeberg
Byggmester Solness (2006), to the play by Henrik Ibsen
Femkant (2007), with Pust
Casta la vista! - Nissa og Elisabeths favorittsanger (2008), with Nissa Nyberget and Elisabeth Lindland
The Grieg Code (2009), with Geir Lysne Ensemble
Gjenfortellinger (2009), with Pitsj
Take a Look at Your Life (2010), with Petter Samuelsen
Big Shit (2010), with T8
